Born a princess of the dynasty, I spent ten years as childhood friends with Xie Jing, the Chief Minister.
But when the two nations entered negotiations, Xie Jing sent men to storm my residence and drag me away to take the place of my younger sister, Xiao Tang, as a hostage in the Yan dynasty.
He strode straight into the great hall and offered to exchange seven years of my life for peace between the two dynasties.
Looking down at me as I was forced to kneel, Xie Jing said only this:
“Second Princess has no virtue. I personally witnessed her poison and harm her younger sister. How could someone so vicious be allowed to remain in the palace? It would be better to send her to the Yan kingdom to sue for peace and demonstrate our sincerity.”
“The ruler of the Yan dynasty is cruel and tyrannical. Third Princess is already frail and weak, so she should stay in the palace and recuperate.”
His Majesty was furious, and the ministers impeached Xie Jing.
To appease them, Xie Jing fixed me with a cruel smile and said:
“I know the Second Princess has been in love with me for a long time. If she can return alive, I will marry her.”
But he knew perfectly well that I had never poisoned anyone.
No matter how dreadful the rumors were, they could not compare with the schemes he devised for Xiao Tang alone.
Seven years later, after enduring endless torment in enemy territory, I was barely alive.
When I returned, I was covered in blood and had only a thread of life left.
The first thing I did after coming back was beg Father to issue another decree.
“I beg Father to honor his promise from all those years ago, remove the parasite poison in my body, and let me leave the palace in ten days.”
But after I truly disappeared, Xie Jing went mad, turning the place upside down to find me.
